The prior art teaches basically two types of machines for trouser pressing.
A first type of machine comprises a pair of hot plates between which the trousers to be pressed are inserted.
The pressing operation is carried out by combined application of pressure and heat.
A second type of ironing machine (see for instance DE-A-4,415,002) is of the type generally known as blown or ventilated ironing, or "Topper", and comprises a pair of movable shaped elements which translate following an electropneumatic command, and block, keep blocked and subsequently unblock within the belt area, a trouser positioned in correspondence of these elements by an operator.
This machine further comprises two pairs of plates, which are simultaneously movable in a vertical direction, each pair of plates fastening a lower end of a trouser by means of an elecotropneumatic command.
During operation, an operator first fixes the upper part of the trouser by using said shaped elements, thereafter he uses the plate pairs to fix the bottom ends of the trouser.
Subsequently the pairs of plates are vertically moved in such a way as to keep the trouser stretched. Then a jet of steam and/or hot air is directed into the trousers through the belt zone, which zone is kept open by the shaped elements. The inlet of hot air and/or steam is kept up for a determined time, directed by the operator, which time will be sufficient to press the trousers.
Finally, the operator switches off the electropneumatic commands, manually unloads the trouser, places it on a specially-provided working surface and loads a next pair of trousers.
Generally, the pressing times are between 15-18 seconds, which leads to an average production of about 800 trousers per day for each machine.
The above-described machines are normally utilised in pairs, with the aim of rationalising the pressing times and obtaining higher production.
In this case, a single operator acts on both machines, which work at staggered rhythms; for example, while one machine is pressing, the operator can load and/or unload the other machine.
A working cycle of this kind enables the production of about 1500-1700 pressed trousers per day per operator, based on the average pressing time of 15 seconds per trouser.
For obvious reasons connected with production, machines of this type are programmed to carry out the pressing in the shortest time possible, compatibly with the obtaining of a given quality of pressing. It has been found that about 15 seconds does not provide a high-quality pressing, which is obtained only with times higher than 22 seconds per trouser; however, such long times are incompatible with the production rhythms required by modern industrial pressing/ironing companies.
Further, each pair of the above-described pressing machines requires the presence of a fixed operator, leading to considerable production costs.
DE-A-1,802,225 discloses an automatic pressing/ironing machine constituted by a rotating carousel on which is mounted a plurality of stretched dummies suitable for supporting corresponding shaped articles of clothing such as skirts, dresses and the like. Moreover, a suitable device is provided in order to introduce steam, and successively hot air, into said dummies while the dummies are stopped at predetermined working stations.
FR-A-1,158,733 discloses an automatic plant which is constituted by a rotating carousel composed by a plurality of dummies which are intermittenly moved passing through predetermined stations where steam and hot air are supplied.
GB-A-1,409,244 discloses an automatic plant that is provided with a plurality of bucks on which the garments are mounted and indexed to and from a number of stations at which different operations are performed.
The automatic plant also presents an automatic unloading device which is constituted by a suitable arm, operated by a piston and cylinder arrangement, the free end of said arm being provided with a nose so as it can engage the hanger placed inside of the buck.